Yoga has long been recognised as an effective stress reliever. It incorporates a variety of common stress-relieving strategies such as exercise and learning to control one’s breath, cleanse one’s thoughts, and relax one’s body. As yoga grows in popularity, more people are discovering the benefits this ancient discipline has to offer in their stressed lives. Helping the mind to rest, the body to reset and for the soul rejuvenate, yoga guides you to a stress-free path to walk on. The greatest way to see the change yoga can make is to stick to a regular yoga regimen. One can begin with a stress management yoga routine designed for beginners who don’t think they have time to practise yoga.

Breath is essential for connecting with your body and lowering your stress level.

Begin with mastering Ujjayi breath (also known as “ocean breath”) and incorporating it into each position. Take a deep, leisurely inhale through your nose, then exhale through your nose while constricting the back of your throat in a “ha” shape, but keeping your mouth shut. Your breath should be audible to someone standing next to you.

Kindness and good feelings have been found to benefit physical health and depression by protecting and cushioning you from the stresses of life.

It’s quite easy to teach us to be harsh on ourselves, so unlearning that self-judgment can be challenging but rewarding. Self-compassion does not come naturally to most individuals, thus it requires deliberate effort and intention on a daily basis.

How do we begin to remember to treat ourselves with kindness on a regular basis? Everyone’s situation is unique. Perhaps you can set aside time to spend with a close friend, or spend extra time listening to music that you don’t typically allow yourself to enjoy, or attempt a loving-kindness meditation.

We can enlarge our horizons by first expressing kindness and love to ourselves.